Almost £27million raised in a ‘developer tax’ has been invested across the borough since 2022, helping to fund essential community infrastructure.

The cash has been raised through ‘Section 106’ (S106) agreements. These are legally binding planning obligations that mean developers have to contribute to the cost of building new local facilities like schools, GP surgeries, and other community facilities.

As well as paying for new community facilities, S106 agreements have helped to pay for nearly half of England’s new affordable homes over the past decade.

Councillor Shital Manro, Ealing Council’s cabinet member for good growth and new homes, said: “Section 106 funding is a crucial tool that helps us ensure that development in the borough provides real benefits for local people. Whether it’s improving schools, making cycling routes better, or making it easier to access healthcare, in recent years we’ve put millions of pounds of S106 funds to work in ways that directly improve residents’ daily lives. These contributions help us ensure that growth in the borough is supported by the high‑quality services and facilities that residents need.”

Overall, the council has collected more than £47million in S106 contributions this council term.

Making community priorities possible

Since 2022, the council has used S106 funding to support a wide range of local services and community priorities:

• Hillcrest Surgery in Acton was relocated and refurbished with the help of more than £1.5million in S106 funding. The surgery was moved to a modern, fit-for-purpose building with more consulting rooms and a larger admin space
• in response to a significant rise in demand of special school places over the last decade, almost £2.9million funded the expansion of John Chiltern School in Greenford.  It now provides extra school places, with more classrooms and specialist learning areas in line with government standards
• the whole borough benefited from a £600,000 investment in 2024-2025 for cycling improvements. This contributed to major cycling schemes in areas such as Greenford Road, Uxbridge Road, and Occupation Lane, making it easier and more convenient to choose cycling as a way to get around locally
• the Merrick Road pedestrian bridge in Southall received more than £200,000 in S106 funds, providing a much-needed new pedestrian and cycle route across the railway line. The bridge has new paved pedestrian areas at each end with street lighting and CCTV to improve safety
• the Young Adult Centre (YAC) in Southall was refurbished with the help of £250,000. It is now fully accessible for disabled people and includes a new indoor gym, sports court, gaming area, and kitchen.

YAC user Christon, 25, said: “Seeing it change from what it was like before has been amazing. There’s so much more space – the old building felt tiny in comparison. The football pitch is calling me. But if you don’t like football, you can play basketball or cricket. There’s something for everyone.”

S106 is just one of the council initiatives from recent years aimed at helping good growth in the borough. Having set itself ambitious targets in 2022, the council and its partners are on-track to have achieved or exceeded those targets by the end of April this year, with: 

• a new Community Infrastructure Levy agreed, which will be implemented from March. Operated in addition to S106, it is expected to raise several million pounds annually to support new community facilities
• new independent community and design review panels, which ensure high‑quality development by giving experts and residents a voice during the early stages of major planning proposals
• a comprehensive review of conservation areas, which is helping protect local heritage and guide planning decisions so that the character of affected areas is retained
• a boost to local employment and business rates thanks to the council’s Good for Ealing programme, which is strengthening partnerships and attracting responsible investment to the borough